As your child gets older, you will find that she is growing out of the fears that she had while she was a toddler, only to be replaced by a more sophisticated brand of fear. Most fears will be based in the real word such as, death, getting lost, her parents getting divorced, burglary but some will still linger in the imaginary world such as ghosts and monsters that come out in the dark.
So, how can you help ease her fears?
- Listen to her and make sure that she knows that you take her fears seriously.
- Never lie to her, if she asks you difficult questions about war, death or divorce, give her a truthful answer. You don’t need to give her more information than she needs, she will be satisfied with a simple answer.
- Don't indulge her fantasies by pretending to search for monsters in her room. As, by doing this, you’re actually reaffirming to her that you also believe there are monsters in her bedroom.
- With a little guidance, encourage her to face her fears and when she does eventually overcome them she will feel as though she has achieved a great deal.
- If she needs to lock her bedroom window, sleep with a night-light or cross the road to avoid a dog to help deal with her fear, then let her make these choices.
